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Matt Gregory

Members of RIT University News Services received PRism Awards for outstanding work in the public relations field. From left are Associate Director and Athenaeum Managing Editor Vienna McGrain, News & Events Daily Editor Marie Lang, Director Ellen Rosen, RIT: The University Magazine Editor and Associate Director Mindy Mozer, and Senior Communications Specialist Michelle Cometa.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s University News Services won eight awards — including top awards in five categories — and RIT SportsZone also captured a top honor at the 2013 PRism Awards ceremony.

The awards, hosted by the Rochester chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, honor outstanding work in the field of public relations, among both corporate and not-for-profit sectors.

“The University News team prides itself on being strong storytellers,” said Bob Finnerty, RIT chief communications officer. “The awards are a gratifying validation of the broad range of public relations work produced by our talented team.”

At the awards ceremony, held last night (June 20) at Artisan Works, RIT Sports Zone won a PRism in the Other Social Media category for the RIT SportsZone Mobile App. University News Services took top honors (PRism Awards) in these categories:

• Best Newsletter for Athenaeum, a campus-wide publication produced by the UNS staff six times a year, under the direction of Associate Director and Managing Editor Vienna McGrain. It was Athenaeum’s fourth consecutive top honor in this category.
• Best Photography for “Spotlighting People, Events & Campus,” a collection of work by A. Sue Weisler, manager of photography;
• Best Feature Story for “How RIT Has Become a Leader in Sustainability,” an article in the Spring 2013 issue of RIT: The University Magazine, written by magazine editor and UNS Associate Director Mindy Mozer;
• Best Consumer Product or Service Communications for RIT: The University Magazine App;
• Best Internal Communications for News & Events Daily, an online bulletin of RIT News sent daily during the academic year to more than 30,000 subscribers;

University News Services also received three second-place honors, known as Awards of Excellence.

Those awards were for:

• Media Relations for Advanced Manufacturing Venture at RIT, a media event organized by Senior Communications Specialist Michelle Cometa;
• Community Relations, for staff effort in promoting Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival, an event that annually draws more than 30,000 people to the RIT campus to view more than 400 interactive exhibits staged by students and faculty;
• Integrated Campaign, for staff work in promoting Imagine RIT.

The winners were chosen from among more than 150 corporate and not-for-profit entries. Judging this competition were members of the West Virginia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.